The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 228

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Part 2, Chapter 20

Before meeting Soya, Seolyeo had always been alone, but back then, she didn’t know that being alone could be this boring and lonely.

Seolyeo used to have fun by herself on Horim Mountain, picking tree fruits and splashing around in the valley streams… but now nothing was enjoyable anymore.

It was because she had learned the joy of playing with other people.

She missed the bustling White Tiger Palace.

White Tiger Palace was always noisy.

The third tiger who made noise every single day without fail.

The equally noisy brown tiger who constantly bickered with the third one.

The blue wolf who stubbornly spoke his mind despite the tigers’ harassment.

She missed everyone she used to roam and play with on Horim Mountain, but among them all, the person she thought of most was…

[Ahaha, everyone’s so funny!]

[This really tastes amazing, Seol Yoya. You should try it too.]

[Right? It’s delicious, isn’t it?]

“…”

Seolyeo gazed blankly toward the distant direction where White Tiger Palace would be, then hung her head low.

Whenever she thought of Soya, her throat would ache painfully, making it hard to look in that direction any longer.

A single crimson flower blossom blooming at her feet caught her eye.

It was a flower that reminded her of Soya’s eyes.

The flower hadn’t wilted even after several days had passed.

Seolyeo crouched down in front of it and stared at the flower.

How much time had passed like that?

Patter. Pitter-patter.

Rain began falling from the sky.

Panicked by the thickening raindrops, Seolyeo fumbled around before making a hand umbrella to keep the flower petals from getting wet.

She stayed like that for a long time, not caring that she was getting soaked, when small demon beasts approached her.

They were Thorny Rabbit Demons with rabbit-like appearances but fur that bristled sharp like thorns.

Perhaps it was because of the evil that had taken root in her body.

The demon beasts didn’t attack or flee when they saw Seolyeo.

Seolyeo didn’t harm the demon beasts either.

The demon beasts were black in color and strange-looking, but even so, she didn’t want to hurt them.

Hating and tormenting others based on appearance alone was wrong.

That was something Soya had taught her long ago.

Having grown up wearing the shell of a demon beast, Seolyeo had always lived receiving people’s hatred before meeting Soya.

Even when she spotted children her age and approached them wanting to play together, she was usually met with stone-throwing.

Seolyeo knew how sad it was to be hated for being different in appearance.

The Thorny Rabbit Demons glanced at Seolyeo, then extended their small front paws to make hand umbrellas following her example.

“Are you helping me?”

“Squeak, squeak…”

“Thank you.”

A small smile appeared on Seolyeo’s face.

It was the first warmth from someone she had felt since leaving White Tiger Palace.

Soon the rain stopped, and the Thorny Rabbit Demons sat quietly beside Seolyeo, looking at the flower together.

But then, a rustling sound came from behind them.

The Thorny Rabbit Demons, startled by even the small sound, jumped up and crouched behind Seolyeo, hiding.

“My lord! So you were here!”

A suspicious man emerged through the thicket and approached Seolyeo.

“…?”

Seolyeo looked at the man with a puzzled expression.

‘My lord? Is he talking to me?’

Seeing her blank stare, the man explained.

“Just as you predicted, my lord, the Dragon Emperor’s Bride has set foot in the Northern Lands.”

Pause.

Seolyeo’s expression hardened.

Interpreting this somehow, the man chattered on.

“As you commanded, we have bound the Dragon Emperor’s Bride and the White Tiger Family members. Tonight, I shall offer that wench’s corpse to you, my lord.”

Seolyeo didn’t know this man.

He must have mistaken her for someone else.

Seolyeo thought she knew who the man was confusing her with.

That being who had occupied her body until recently—Evil.

“By that wench… do you mean Soya?”

“Yes, I believe that was her name. The Baek Family’s Daughter.”

At the man’s answer, Seolyeo bit her lower lip hard.

“…Evil is trying to harm Soya again.”

An ominous aura began spreading around her as she muttered quietly.

“My lord, I couldn’t quite hear what you just said… Gah!”

Boom!

The man’s body flew and crashed into a wooden pillar on the opposite side.

The air around Seolyeo, who glared at the man with bloodshot fierce eyes, rippled violently.

Grrrowl…!

The Thorny Rabbit Demons hiding behind Seolyeo also glowed with red light in their eyes and bared their sharp teeth and pointed thorns, threatening the man.

Step, step.

Walking toward the man, Seolyeo grabbed his collar with one hand and lifted him up.

“Gak. Gurk. My, my lord… pl, please spare me…”

Seolyeo glanced at the legs of the man dangling and struggling in the air.

“Like a worm.”

Just as she was about to twist the man’s neck.

‘Gasp…!’

Thump…!

The moment she harbored evil thoughts, she felt the evil dwelling in her body stirring and awakening.

Her pupils dilated, blood vessels contracted strongly, and her heart pounded with thumping sounds.

The heartbeat was so violent it seemed like it might burst.

Seolyeo knew what this feeling was.

Evil was trying to seize control of her body.

“Ugh, urgh…”

Seolyeo collapsed face-down on the ground, her fingertips trembling.

“No, I won’t let you…”

Blood trickled from the mouth of her as she battled against Evil.

“Gasp, huff…”

Seolyeo breathed roughly and barely managed to suppress the Evil trying to emerge.

‘Like a worm… why did I say such a thing…’

Of course, that man was a villain threatening Soya, but even so, it was language the usual Seolyeo would never use about another person.

But in that moment, her mind had been completely filled with rage and hatred, as if she had become a different person entirely.

Seolyeo tried to suppress her unpleasantly pounding heart and wiped away cold sweat.

Looking for a stream to splash cold water on her face to clear her head, she casually turned her head and—

“Gasp…!”

Seolyeo discovered the man’s body covered in thorns and bleeding to death, and sat down hard in shock.

The demon beasts had gathered around the man’s corpse and were tearing off pieces of flesh to eat.

While I was battling against Evil, the man who had escaped from his grasp was attacked by demon beasts and became food for the demons.

‘Because of me…’

Seolyeo felt her heart sink as she covered her mouth with one hand to suppress the nausea that was rising.

‘Someone died because of me.’

The thought that someone had died because of her was terrifying.

‘Because I harbored wicked thoughts…’

She had been trying so hard not to harbor evil thoughts, but the moment she heard Soya’s name from that man’s mouth, she lost her reason…

‘Ah, Soya…!’

Suddenly!

Seolyeo’s thoughts stretched out to reach Soya once again.

‘Soya mustn’t be put in danger…’

Not only Soya, but all the people from the White Tiger Family had arrived in the Northern Lands.

‘Why did they come to the Northern Lands?’

Perhaps they had come to capture her.

So she should hide and flee to avoid being spotted by them…

‘But Soya might be in danger.’

She was concerned about her name that had flowed from the mouth of the man who had just died.

Of course, Soya was strong.

Soya was smart and could do anything, and was very, very strong, but still…

* * *

The Northern Lands were a place where evil spirits had been sealed for ages, and were the birthplace of evil magic that utilized the mighty power of Evil.

When it became known that the power of Evil corrupted the Spirit Cores of beast-people, evil magic was banned at the Empire level.

However, there were those who secretly researched and developed it.

They were the tribes of the Northern Lands called ‘Sorcerers.’

While fearing Evil, they also worshipped Evil’s mighty power, and left their tribes to gather together and form settlements in order to research the forbidden arts.

The village that Soya’s group had discovered was precisely the village of those sorcerers.

Not long ago, they had encountered the Evil that had awakened within Seolyeo’s body, and immediately bowed their heads to Evil, volunteering to become its servants.

They admired the Four Fierce Beasts who had become special by receiving a share of Evil’s power in human flesh, and hoped to inherit their place after their destruction.

Recognizing the sorcerers’ desires, Evil commanded that if they wanted to receive a share of its power, they must deal with the Dragon Emperor’s Bride the moment she set foot in the Northern Lands.

Thus, they had opened wide the entrance to their hidden village and waited for Soya’s group to arrive.

But how could they face the people of the White Tiger Family, said to be the strongest on the continent?

Using evil magic was also not feasible.

This was because the Dragon Emperor’s Bride, who could detect the scent of evil magic, was present.

Therefore, they had laced the evening meal with sleeping drugs.

The colorless and odorless liquid was a secret medicine that could instantly put even a tiger as large as a house to sleep.

When they first arrived, the White Tiger Family members seemed to suspect their hospitality.

They seemed to look around various parts of the village while avoiding their eyes, but they couldn’t find anything suspicious at all.

This was natural. They had thoroughly ‘sealed’ any traces of the evil magic they had been practicing so that nothing would leak outside.

Gradually, as their guard was lowered, the White Tiger Family members relaxed, and while eating the food mixed with sleeping drugs, they collapsed one by one during the meal and fell asleep.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————